Choc Chip Jam & Cream Log

The easier dessert you will ever make!

Inspired by the back of an Arnott's biscuits packet I decided to make this homemade dessert from some Chocolate Chip  Biscuits I made over the weekend.

Here is the biscuit recipe:

http://ljsgourmetkitchen.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/choc-chip-moments-made-from-nannys-choc.html

For the Jam & Cream Log... really simple acutally. Whip 500ml of Cream, add a layer of cream to the bottom of a baking dish. Sandwich the biscuits together by spreading with Jam and then Cream. Put them side by side and continue along the baking dish. Cover with the remaining cream, cover and leave to set in the fridge overnight or for at least 6 hours.

The biscuits will soften and the cream will set.. oh my gosh.... YUM!

Healthy Banana Icecream

OMG!!!! Delicious!!!!! Forgot to share the Healthy Banana Ice Cream with you yesterday. I saw the recipe on 5 Ingredient Fix but it was loaded with extra calories from honey and peanut butter. Add these if you like, I decided to go almost ah la natural!!!

Ok here's what to do..

Slice 2 Bananas and freeze on a tray lined with baking paper. I cut mine about 3cm thick so they are easy to blend. Once frozen throw them in the blender with 1 Tablespoon of Organic Agave Syrup and blend until smooth. That's it's!!! I've popped it back into the freezer for a bit, although I'm not sure i can wait that long! So easy so delicious and creamy! Who would have thought you could make icecream with just 2 ingredients. 

Next time I'm going to add some low fat yoghurt before I re freeze it. You can find more healthy recipes in my group!

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Greek Walnut Syrup Cake

We had a themed day of Greek Flavours at work today.

I decided to make this Greek Walnut Syrup Cake. First time today I have tried 

this recipe and it was .. yum yum.. Very different!
Here is a link to the original recipe :-)
http://greek.food.com/recipe/karithopasta-greek-walnut-syrup-cake-266580

Ingredients:

250g Butter

1 Cup Sugar

5 Eggs

1/3 Cup Orange Liqueur ( I squeezed one orange instead)

3/4 teas Cinnamon

1/4 Tes Ground Cloves

2 1/2 teas baking powder

2 Cups of Bread Crumbs

1 Cup finely ground Walnuts

For the Syrup:

2 Cups of water

1 Cup Sugar

1 Tbs Lemon Juice

Lemon Peel 

(I used Lemon Peel, Orange Peel and a teas of Vanilla Extract)

Fits approx 22cm round tin..

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 180 - 200 c.  Grease a 22cm Round pie dish or cake tin with butter.

(I use the butter wrapper once I have put the butter into the mixing bowl.)

Beat the butter until soft, add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the Eggs beating after each addition. Add the Orange juice or Liqueur.  In another bowl ad the breadcrumbs, baking powder, cinnamon and ground cloves and combine. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat until combined.

Pour into your tin and bake for 30 - 35 minutes. Test with a Skewer.

While the cake is cooling make the Syrup by adding all of the ingredients into a saucepan. Bring to the boil and stir while the sugar dissolves. Boil for 5 minutes.

Pour the hot syrup slowly over the cake and allow it to soak for a few hours or overnight if possible.

I have served with fresh pouring cream and icecream.

Orange & Raisin Apple Pie

My Healthy Living Lifestyle clients asked to for a home made apple pie this week. To make it a little special I've added Raisins and Orange Zest.

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

250g Plain Flour 

50g Icing Sugar

Pinch of Sea Salt

Zest from half and Orange

125g Cold Butter cut into small cubes

1 Large Free range Egg

Splash of Milk  

What to do:

Sift the flour into a bowl and add the icing sugar and pinch of salt. Add the Butter and rub into the Flour with your fingertips. You could use a food processor at this step if you wish. Rub the butter in until it looks like fine bread crumbs.  Make a well in the center and add the Egg and the Milk along with the Orange zest. Now this may sound crazy but I have seen Anna Olsen do it to make all of her doughs.. and she is the Queen of Baking!.... Spread your fingers and hold them stiffly like a claw. In a gentle circular motion mix the egg and milk in to bring the dough together. Don't over mix or your dough will be tough. Wrap in glad wrap and pop into the fridge for 20 minutes to rest.

For the filling:

5 Large Granny Smith Apples

3 Tbs of Raw Sugar

1/2 Teas of Ground Ginger and Cinnamon

A good Handful of Raisins

Juice from 1/2 an Orange

What to do:

Peel, slice and core your apples. In a non stick pan add the apples, raisins, sugar, spices and orange juice. Stir to combine and cook on a low heat until the apples are tender. Let it cool completely. Divide your pastry into 2. Roll out the base and pop it into your pie dish. If it breaks or tears just patch it up. Pop in the filling and top with the rest of the pastry. I like to push the top bit of pastry right in and roll the bottom piece over the top to seal it and of course gives it that lovely homemade look! I've put a few slits in the top of the pastry to let out the steam, beaten an egg and used a pastry brush to coat. This will make your pie a lovely golden colour. Sprinkle a little Cinnamon sugar on top and bake in a 180 degree oven until the pastry is golden. Approx 40 minutes

Quick and Easy Jamie Oliver Pavlova...Great when you have to throw together a delicious dessert in a hurry!

I was in a rush so threw together this quick and easy dessert I saw on Jamie's 30 Minute Meals.

Ingredients:

Pre made Pavlovas

Greek Yoghurt 

Lemon Curd (I've used some homemade, that I had left over from making lemon curd tarts)

Mixed Berries(I have defrosted some mixed frozen berries, Jamie used fresh raspberries)

What to do..

Put some honey into raspberries and mash a bit, add a few tbs of the yoghurt. Stir slightly to marble. Fill small pavlovas with the lemon curd, berry/yoghurt mix on top. Decorate with some berries on top and drizzle with honey. Jamie decorated with a mint leaf, I decided to just crumble some extra meringue over the top.

Pavlova... we all love it :-)

Everyone loves Pavlova so I made one for the first time in many years using a  recipe 

 from a CWA Cookery Book from Bundaberg that Mum gave me for my birthday last year. 

I made the topping from whatever fresh fruit I had fresh in the fridge

Ingredients:

12 Egg whites

450g Caster Sugar

2 Teas Vanilla

Pinch of Salt

1 1/2 Tbs Cornflour

3 Tbs Sugar

1 Teas Vinegar

What to do:

Beat 2 Egg whites with salt. Gradually add the other 10 egg whites and beat until stiff.  Gradually add the caster sugar a few tbs at a time. Add the Vinegar and beat and then the vanilla and beat. You need to beat until all of the sugar is dissolved. To test you can put some mixture between your thumb and first finger and rub together, if it feels grainy there is more beating to do.. Once the sugar has dissolved fold in the the cornflour and sugar and mix in well. Drawn a large circle on baking paper and place onto a baking tray. Place the mixture into the circle and using a knife or spatula make a nice shape pushing the sides up to the top. Bake in a preheated oven on 160 degrees for 5 minutes. Turn down to 110 - 120 degrees and bake for a further 2 hours. Turn off and let it cool and dry out in the oven. 

I have served with freshly whipped cream, passionfruit/kiwifruit/strawberries and a mixed berry sauce.  I made the sauce from frozen mixed berries, a bit of sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Heat until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce thickens. Let it cool completely before adding to the top of your other fruit on the pavlova. I cut the pavlova into slices and added the cream and the topping in individual serves. Alternatively you can decorate the whole Pav and then serve!

Mmmmm Honeycomb

I had a go at making Honeycomb yesterday. It hasn't turned out too bad but I feel it could be a bit lighter so I'm going to work on that for the next time I make it. I used Nigella's Express Recipe which is quite easy. Here is the link for the recipe.... Nigella Hokey-Pokey

Smash it up when cooled and dip into dark chocolate, or into some vanilla icecream!

Mini Cheesecakes.. Cherry Ripe & Honeycomb

I haven't made cheesecakes in ages or desserts for that matter so for dessert tonight I thought I would please everyone with cheesecakes!

I crushed homemade choc chip biscuits and mixed in some melted butter for the bases. Line a large muffin tin with foil papers and press the biscuit mix into the bases. Set aside in the fridge to set while you make the filling.  To make the cheesecake mix beat 250g low fat cream cheese until smooth and then add 400g tin of skim condensed milk. Beat until combined. Dissolve a about 7g of gelatine in a few tbs of boiling water and stir until fully dissolved. Add this to the mixture and beat well. Melt 100g dark chocolate and add to the cheesecake mix and beat until combined. Pour the cheesecake mix into the prepared biscuit bases. Add the chopped dark Cherry ripe to half and chopped honeycomb to the other half. Top the honeycomb cheesecakes with a chunk of choc coated honeycomb. Top the cherry ripe cheesecakes with some coconut and dark melted chocolate. Pop into the fridge to set. Once set remove the wrapper and serve them on pretty bone china plates and serve! Watch them disappear!

Home made Lolly Pops

Ingredients: 

1 cup sugar 

½ cup light corn syrup 

¼ cup water 

¾ tsp extract of your choice (vanilla, mint, cinnamon, coconut, etc) 

Food coloring (optional) 

Lollipop molds and sticks 

Preparation:

1. Prepare your molds by spraying them with nonstick cooking spray and inserting lollipop sticks into the molds.

2. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Insert the candy thermometer and stir until sugar dissolves.

3. Allow to boil, without stirring, until candy reaches 295 degrees (hard-crack stage).

4. Once the candy reaches 295, remove it from heat. Stir in the extract of your choice, and, if desired, food coloring.

5. Spoon the candy into the mold cavities, making sure to cover the back of the stick.

6. Allow to cool completely and remove once hardened.

Skinny Choc Mint Icecream..

3 egg yolks

1⁄2 cup castor sugar

200ml extra light cream 

350ml skim milk 

pinch salt 

Peppermint Essense to taste and green food colouring to colour

100g chocolate bits (I used Mini Specked Easter Eggs)

Beat the egg yolk and sugar together until fluffy. Stir 

in the remaining ingredients. Pour into the freezer canister and allow to churn and freeze. 

Note: Any variation of chocolate bar finely 

chopped can be used i.e. Cherry Ripe, Mars 

Bar, Violet Crumble or Peppermint Crisp. 

If you don't have an icecream maker.... 

Take your ice cream recipe mixture and carefully pour it into the bowl, then chill in the fridge for up to 2 hours. 

Take the bowl out of the fridge and transfer to the freezer for about half an hour. Then check just how much the mixture has frozen - ideally, it should have started to freeze at the edges but not fully through to the centre. 

Take the bowl out of the freezer and beat the ice cream mixture until it’s creamy once again (to dislodge and break up the ice crystals that have formed). 

Put it back in the freezer for another half hour, then remove and once again beat with a whisk. 

Do this again so that you have beaten the mixture a total of 3 times whilst freezing in between. Put the mixture back into the freezer for a final time until it’s ready to eat.